How to Rock Your First Semester in College!

Looking back on college, it was by far the most enjoyable 5 years of my life (yes, I was in undergrad for 5 years, and I earned 2 Bachelor’s degrees, two associate degrees, as well as a minor! Woo!). Here are some of my tried and true tips and tricks to have the best time possible!

-READ THE SYLLABUS! This document will give you due dates, exam dates, and the professor’s contact info. This is something you will definitely want to make sure you don’t lose!
-Make note of due dates in your planner
-Speaking of, carry an agenda! It will help keep you on track, and make sure you don’t miss anything.My favorite agendas can be found here!

-While making new friends is important, remember that you are there first and foremost to learn and earn your degree, don’t let going out with friends distract you from that
-Join a study group, you can divide reading and exchange notes
-Make flashcards for studying
-Ask questions, don’t be intimidated by a large classroom! Chances are many others have the same qustion you do!
-Get to know your professor, introduce yourself after the first day – they may extend deadlines or round your grade up if you need it
-Show up to class- ditching can be tempting but you’re paying to be there, so show up and get your money’s worth.
-Exchange phone numbers with a few people in each class on the first day – they want to make friends just like you do, plus if one of you is ever sick or forgets an assignment, you can help one another!
-Take time to relax – time management skills are imperative to being successful in college. Be sure to balance schoolwork and your free time in a meaningful way
-Taking a class you have a huge interest in, but the professor isn’t doing it for you? Consider switching sections to get a different teacher, or joining a club related to the subject – you;ll do better and enjoy your time more
-Don’t trust sites like rate my professor, they’re often misleading, inaccurate and biased. Some of the best professors I’ve ever had had the worst scores I’d ever seen

-Ask older students for class recommendations about half way through the first semester, or ask your program director if they will pass along student’s information to you (my program had a list of upperclassmen who had volunteered to council newer students on which classes to take and which to avoid)

-Don’t take only easy classes, challenge yourself! Some of my favorite classes were the most challenging. Plus, you’re there to prepare yourself for graduate school or a career, don’t slack off and your paycheck later in life will definitely thank you

-Take classes that can help you build marketable skills – while it’s okay to take a blow off or two to balance a really heavy term, employers won’t be impressed seeing “basket weaving 101” or “microwave cooking for beginners” on your resume, and they certainly won’t pay you extra for it. Alternatively, classes like foreign language (beyond college requirements, or more than one), accounting, marketing, programming, most science classes, and technical writing courses will help your resume stand out and help put you ahead of the pack when you graduate).

-Stay physically active and watch what you eat – if you’re going to drink, do it safely, and around people you trust. Just remember it’s empty calories that can not only contribute to the freshman 15, but being intoxicated underage is illegal, can cause loss of scholarships, you can be dropped from certain student orgs or honor societys if you get caught, etc. *law that excuses it in dangers situations

-Set expectations with your roommate

If you’ve graduated, or have already started college, what are your best tips for success?

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